Ankle-tread tractor



R. MHCEACHEN ANKLE TREAD TRACTOR Sept. s, 1936.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 2, 1954 ofenden@ MCZcZe/L fyzf/zal" 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 8, 1936. R MMEACHEN ANKLE TREAD TRACTOROriginal Filed Nov. 2, 1934 Sept. 8, 1936. R MaCEACHEN 2,053,294

ANKLE TREAD TRACTOR Original Filed Nov 2, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 8,1936. R. MacEACHEN 2,053,294

ANKLE TREAD TRACTOR Original Filed Nov. 2, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4MacEacUU Patented Sept. 8, 1936 Application November 2, 1934, Serial No.751,217 Renewed May 29, 1936 7 claims. (c1. 18o-25) The object of myinvention is an ankle-tread tractor of novel construction which willprovide more eicient power traction for farms and for other uses, andwhich has mechanisms so de- 5 signed as to complete road contact underall conditions; to provide a tractor of this type having a singletraction or driving wheel fitted with sectional tread pivotally mountedfor operation on uneven roadways or hillsides. It is a further l objectof my invention to provide a tractor of novel design in which the centerof gravity may be shifted under the control of the operator when it isbeing operated along hillsides, so as to keep the body of the machine ina perpendicular position and thus add safety and efficiency to theoperation of the tractor. It is also an object of my invention toprovide a tractor of simple mechanical constructions having the novelarrangement and combination of mechanisms hereinafter described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my tractor;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation Vof same with the tractor on level ground;and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the tractor adjusted to an inclinedplane.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the several views:

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a chassis or frame l,carrying a motor and motor covering or casing 2, transmission 3,horizontal shaft 4, carrying a worm 5, which meshes with worm gear 6 onshaft 1. Shaft 1 is secured 35 by bolts 8 to leaf springs 9, and theends of springs 9 are hinged on frame at |8, as shown in Fig. 1. Iprovide a driving or traction wheel I2 over which extends a suitableWheel guard |I.

Traction wheel |2 is of novel construction and is provided withprojecting blocks I3 aixed to the wheel I2 by suitable means as by boltsI4, and each block has a jaw I3. I have devised ankle tread sections I1each of which has its traction face suitably pitted, and has a projec-45 tion I6 which is seated in the jaw I3 of block I3. It is pivotallymounted thereto by means of a suitable pivot pin I5 inserted throughcorresponding eyes in the members I3 and I6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4,to form a knuckle joint, and permit of free lateral flexibility of thetread sections.

I provide a conventional seat 20, mounted on spring supports I9,attached to the chassis I by bolts I8. I provide a suitable support 2|for the steering column 22 on which is mounted a conventional steeringwheel 23. The lower end of the lsteering column 22 is connected bysteering mechanism 24 and finger or link 25 with the pull rod 26, whichis operatively connected at its outer end with the cross rod 21. Crossrod 21 is pivotally connected with the rearwardly bent ends 28 of thevertical columns 29. Vertical column 29 terminates in stub axles 38 onwhich the front wheels 3| of the tractor are mounted. This mechanismprovides means for steering the tractor. Each of the axles 39 isintegral with and is an extension of the columns 29. Suspended from axle32 are shackles 33 to the ends of which are pivotally connected asuitable leaf spring 34, and to which the frame I is pivotally mountedat 35, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

I provide a'plurality of frame rods 31 which as shown in Fig. 1 arepivotally connected at theirl lower ends to the axle 32, by pivoted pins36; and also are pivotally connected at their upper ends at S8 with thetransverse frame rods 39, which are pivotally connected at 49 with themotor covering 2. Radius rods 42 are secured by bolts 4I to frame rods39, and are pivotally attached by pivot 43 with support 2|, as shown inFig. 2.

Pivotally connected at 44 to axle 32 is a rod 45, having screw threads46. A suitable fixed gear box 41 is mounted on motor covering 2 andcontains a gear 48 loosely mounted in the gear box 41. Gear 48 mesheswith gear 49 on the lower end of shaft 5|a mounted in the casing 59,which carries a suitable hand wheel 5|.

The front wheels are mounted pivotally relative to the axle 32 which isattached pivotally to the frame of the machine which is hinged at therespective -pivots 39 and 38 so as to permit the upper mechanism (whichincludes the tractor motor and motor covering 2 and parts affixedthereto) to be swung laterally, as shown in Fig. 4, by the rotation ofhand wheel 5|, shaft 5| a gearsY 49 and 41 and screw threaded shaft 45(or other suitable means). When the hand wheel 5|, shaft 5 la, and itsgear 49 are rotated the shaft gear 49 actuates gear 41 which is mountedon the screw-threaded portion of shaft and operates that shaft, whichshaft is pivotally connected at 44 to the axle 32 to raise or lower themotor and casing relative to the axle, inasmuch as the casing 58 ofshaft 5|a, is clamped to the motor covering and to the member 2| and asthe motor itself is pivotally mounted at 35 on the spring 34 which issuspended from axle 32, and at 49 with the transverse frame rods 39,which is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As the tractor frame can beswung or held to a tilted or slanting position by operation of the shaftand gears above described when the vehicle is traveling on a side hill,as illustrated in Fig. 4, it will be obvious that the center of gravityof the entire vehicle is shifted laterally towards the raised Wheel 3|so as to lessen the liability of overturning the vehicle under suchconditions.

When the tractor is in use the tread sections I1 of the traction ordriving wheel l2, being attached pivotally to that wheel, will ilex orswing laterally in a plane at right angles to the plane of the rim ofthe driving wheel to any unevenness of the road or to adjust thetraction surface to an inclined plane if the tractor is operating on ahillside.

What I claim is:-

1. In a three-wheel tractor, the combination of a tractor frame, a pairof front wheels, a rear driving Wheel, sectional treads on the drivingwheel pivotally mounted for free lateral movement in a plane Vat rightangles to the plane of the driving wheels, means for pivotallysupporting the fron-t end of the tractor frame relative to the frontwheels, and means for laterally moving the tractor frame to shift itscenter of gravity laterally when Vthe tractor is operating o-n ahillside.

2. In a tractor of the type described, in combination, a frame, a pairof pivotally mounted front Wheels, a front axle, a spring suspended fromthe front axle, a motor structure, means for pivotally mounting themotor structure on said spring and on `the frame of the tractor., meansfor yshifting the center of gravity of the tractor frame, said meansincluding gear `mechanism amxed to the motor structure, a rod connectedto the frame, and a member carried by said rod and actuated by gearmechanism on the motorY structure, the tractor having a single drivingwheel, said driving wheel having pivoted tread sections capable of freelateral movement..

3. In a tractor of the type described, in lcombination, a frame, a lpairof pivotally mounted front Wheels, a front axle, a motor structurecomprising a motor casing, means for pivotally suspending the aforesaidtractor frame from the front axle and frame of the tractor, means forshifting the center of gravity of the aforesaid tractor frame, saidmeans including gear mechanism aiixed to the aforesaid motor casing, arod connected to the frame, a member carried by said rod and actuated bythe gear mechanism on the motor structure, and a single driving wheelfor the tractor, said. driving wheel having pivoted tread sectionscapable of free lateral movement.

4. A three-wheel tractor having a single driving wheel, said drivingWheel having a series of pivotally mounted sectional treads capable offree lateral movement, a tractor frame including a front axle, pivotallymounted front wheels, and a threaded shaft and gear mechanism aflixed tothe motor casing and pivotally connecting the frame with the motorstructure and a control Wheel geared to said threaded shaft and adaptedto be operated by the driver of the tractor for adjusting the frame ofthe tractor to permit of laterally shifting the center of gravity of thetractor frame to ada-pt it to operation on a hillside.

5. A three-wheel tractor having a single rear driving wheel, saiddriving wheel having a series of pivotally mounted sectional treadscapable of free lateral movement, a tractor frame including a frontaxle, pivotally mounted front Wheels, and a threaded yshaft and gearmechanism affixed to the motorY casing and pivotally connecting theframe to the motor structure and means actuating said gear mechanism andcontrolled manually for adjusting the frame of the tractor to permit oflaterally shifting the center of gravity of 'the tractor lframe to adaptit to operation on .a hillside, and manually operative means forcontrolling lsaid tractor frame for laterally adjusting the frame of thetractor.

6. In av tractor of the type described, in combination, a tractor frame,upper mechanism including a motor structure, a pair of front Wheels,

a front axle, a threaded rod pivotally connectedv to the front axle, agear casing affixed to the upper portion of the motor structure, aspring suspended from the front axle, means for pivotally mounting themotor structure on said spring and onV the frame of the tractor, a gearloosely mounted inthe above-mentioned gear casing and threaded on theaforesaid threaded rod, and manually Acontrolled means for rotating saidgear to adjust the position ofthe motor structure relative to thethreaded rod.V for shifting the center of gravity -of the tractorframe.U

7. In a tractor of the type described, in combination, a tractor frame,upper mechanism including a motor casing, a pair of front Wheels, aVfront axle, va threaded rod pivotally connected to the front axle, agear casing ai'lixed to the upper portion of the motor casing, a springsuspended from the front axle, means for pivotally mcuntingthe motorcasing on said spring and on the frame of the tractor, a gear looselymounted in the above mentioned gear casing and threaded on the aforesaidthreaded rod, manually controlled means for rotating said gear to adjustthe position of the motor casing and motor relative to the threaded rodfor shifting the center of gravity of the frame of the machine, and atractor having a single driving Wheel, said driving wheel having pivotedthreaded sections capable of free lateral movement.

RODERICK MACEACHEN.

